Monday 2 November 2020

World’s largest test facility for CO2 transport officially opened in Norway

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg has officially opened what is claimed to be the largest CO2 transport test facility in Porsgrunn.

The objective of the test facility – which transports CO2 in pipelines, both in gas and liquid form – is to learn more about how CO2 behaves during pipeline transport, which is important to scale up the transport and storage of carbon dioxide in the future.

Equinor has transported CO2 from the Sleipner field in the North Sea since 1996 and from the Snøhvit facility in Hammerfest since 2009, both of which have provided the energy company with important information about CO2 transport.

It has now worked with Total, Gassnova and Gassco to modify the facility and make it possible to study transport of carbon dioxide as gas and liquid simultaneously.

This could yield knowledge that is important for determining where a pipeline route could be laid and which reservoirs could be used.

Equinor says testing and research can also improve operation of the CO2 transport and storage project Northern Lights and can also reduce the costs associated with this new industry in the future.

The plan is initially to use the test facility for two different CO2 transport tests, including multiphase transport and measuring instruments, which are expected to be underway until the spring of 2021.

The test facility will then be used to transport of both oil, gas and CO2, depending on where the needs are greatest.

Ms Solberg said: "The work you do here is an important contribution to the government’s strategy for carbon capture and storage.”